Adjustable guard-rail chair.



Patented Dec. 120,71'910.

fm1: Ncmus Pzrzns co., wAsHmnroN, uA c,

BERIWARD J. FALLON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ADJUSTABLE GUARD-RAIL CHAIR.

Y Specification of Letters Patent. Y Patented Dec.' 20, 1910.

Application lednugust 16, 1909. Serial No. 513,048.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, BERNARD J. FALLoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Adjustable Guard- Rail Chairs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to guard rails for tracks of any kind upon which a car travels, but is particularly adapted and useful upon modern elevated railroads and subways where the curves are very short and the traffic, and consequently the wear, excessive.

The object of the invention is to provide a guard rail and adjustable means for mounting the same adjacent to an ordinary track rail in such a way that wear takes place upon the head of the guard rail.

The invention consists in; a novel mechanism for carrying out the foregoing object, which may be easily and cheaply made and installed and adjusted as wear takes place; a block for supporting the guard rail upon its side with its head t-oward the track rail; means for detachably securing this guard rail in any desired adjusted position within given limits; in a novel Vconstruction and mounting for washers or shims which assist in holding the guard rail in adjusted position and in mounting the guard rail above the track rail.

The invention also consists in other details of construction which will be more fully described as the specification proceeds.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional view of the device of this invention l taken transversely to the guard rail, showing the relations of the device to t-he ordinary track rail, shown at dotted lines at the left when the parts are new or before wear takes place. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the kprincipal parts of Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 correspond to Figs. 1 and 2 showing the position of the parts after wear takes place. Fig. 5 is a perspective detail view of the washer or shim used in adjusting the position of the guard rail. Fig. 6 shows three different thicknesses of washers or shims illustrated in Fig. 5 adapted to be used successively as the guard rail wears and is adjusted toward the track rail, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

Again referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates an ordinary railroad tie upon which is mounted a track rail 12, spikes 14, fish plates 16 and connecting bolt 18l of ordinary construction.

Upon this tie, and adj acent. to the rail 12, is placed a supporting block or member 20 made ordinarily of cast metal although the material is entirely immaterial, the block being secured to the tie bv the bolts 21 or other suitable means. This block may in its general outline be varied considerably in shape, the form here shown being merely one of the preferred forms. The upper forward portion is molded or cut away to form the bearing portion 22 intermediate between notches or recesses 24 and 26. The flange 28 of the guard rail rests in notch 24, the head 30 lies in notch 26 while web 32 bears directly on portion 22, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

The web 32 is provided with an irregularly shaped opening 34, best seen in Figs. 2 and 4, through which a bolt 36 provided with a head 38 and nut 40 passes, adapted to secure the guard rail upon the block 22. Under the nut 40 is a bearing plate 42 adapted to compensate for irregularities in the shape of the rail, said plate 42 having the same opening 34 init as the web 32 of the rail. At the rear of the opening 24, heretofore described, in the supporting block 20 is an upright rectangular member 44, against which when the parts are new the flange 28 of the rail is adapted to bear, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Extending from the sides of the upright member 44 and at the top thereof are two lugs 46.

In mounting the device of this invention upon a track, the guard rail is horizontally curved (not shown) to correspond with the curvature (not shown) of the rail 12, which is to be protected andl is mounted adjacent thereto upon a plurality of support-ing devices heretofore described, mounted upon some or all of the ties 10 upon which the rail 12 is mounted, as may be deemed desirable.

In setting up the device the partsare put together with the guard rail in exactly the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, that is to say, with the flange 28 adjacent to the upright members 44. f

At the time the device is installed, as thus described, a plurality of shims or washers 47, suoli as are illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, are provided consisting of a block or spacing member 48 adapted to lie between the flange 28 and the upright member 44, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 and projecting flanges 50 so spaced apart that they bear against opposite sides 52 and 54 of the block 20, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 and that they lie under and bear against the lugs 46, heretofore described, thereby when in position shown in dotted lines, Figs. 3 and 4, being locked in place so that if the bolt 36 works loose the washer or shim cannotreadily be moved from position except in the case where the bolt 36 is loosened sufficiently to allow the rail 32 to be moved bodily to the left, in Figs. 3 and 4, a sufficient distance so that the anges 50 pass the lugs 46. As wear takes place in the head of the guard rail, as shown in the curve 56, Fig. 3, the operator loosens the bolt 36 and moves the guard rail 32 bodily toward the track rail l2, inserting successively as increased wear takes place the shims 47a, 47b and 47C, illustrated in Fig. G. After any one of these shims or washers is in place he tightens up the bolt 36 thereby securing the guard rail in adjusted position.

Attention 1s called to the fact that this guard rail device is wholly independent of the running rail 12, that is to say it is not bolted or otherwise directly connected to it and can, therefore, be readily replaced without disturbing the main track rail.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is rl. In a guard rail device, the combination of a supporting block, a laterally adjustable guard rail of the general shape of an I beam resting with its web in horizontal position upon the block, and means for detachably securing the guard rail to the block in different selected positions.

2. In a guard rail device, the combination of a supporting block adapted to be secured to a tie, a laterally adjustable guard rail of the general shape of an I beam resting with its web in horizontal position upon the block, means for detachably securing the guard rail to the block in selected position and spacing members adapted to be inserted at the side of the guard rail and adjacent to one flange thereof between it and the block for the purposes set forth.

3. In `a guard rail device, the combination of a supporting block, a laterally adjustable guard rail resting upon the block in recesses formed therein to permit lateral movement with reference to the block, means for detachably securing the guard rail to the block in different selected positions, spacing members adapted to be inserted at the side of the guard rail between it and the block, proj ections upon the spacing members adapted to engage the block and other projections upon the bloclr adapted to prevent withdrawal of the spacing members from working position as described.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

BERNARD J. FALLON. Witnesses:

DWIGHT B. CHEEVER, W. I-I. DE BUsK. 

